Thousands of life advocates will gather Tuesday in the nation’s capital for the 35th March for Life to remember the more than 45 million preborn babies who have died since the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973.
On Jan. 22, 1973, the court voted 7-2 to overturn all state laws banning abortion. Thus, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton made abortions legal for any reason through the first six months of pregnancy, and for virtually any reason thereafter.
Yet, polls show most Americans want more limits on abortion. A December Time magazine poll revealed that more than half of Americans oppose abortion in nearly every circumstance. A Fox News poll in October showed that 45 percent of Americans want to know a candidate's position on abortion before they vote.
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said that, notwithstanding 35 years of tragedy, the pro-life movement should be encouraged.
“Abortion advocates surely expected the debate to be over by now — but it's far from it,” she said. “Pro-life voices continue to raise moral objections to abortion and offer true choice to women in unplanned pregnancies. The number of abortions is steady, even declining, thanks in part to the passage of state pro-life laws. We can expect to see continued progress toward our goal of making abortion both illegal and unthinkable."
Twenty-six states provide women seeking abortion with information about its risks and alternatives. Thirty-five states have laws providing for parental involvement in a minor daughter’s abortion decision.
Ultrasound technology also has played a huge part in America’s pro-life shift. Ten states allow women to view ultrasound images of their preborn child before an abortion.
“Technology has been a great assistance in humanizing the unborn,” Christian Brugger, a fellow at the Culture of Life Foundation, told Family News in Focus. “Fetal imaging technology has shown us beyond question that the unborn is human life. As the information gets out, it’s clear that those who are most educated on the issue go in the direction of pro-life.
“The heart of the next generation is not going to those who defend abortion. It’s going to be life.”
MORE INFORMATION
Learn more about abortion laws in the United States.
Take the Roe IQ test, study the answers and pass the information along to friends and family.
